Indian Ambassador Ahmed Javed has noted that blue-collar workers and housemaids are the worst hit by unscrupulous practices of recruitment agents and middlemen. Javed said the government of India, represented by the Riyadh Embassy and the Consulate General in Jeddah, will do everything possible to protect the interests of these workers, who are increasingly being cheated by recruitment agents. He made the remarks while receiving two legislators from the southern Indian state of Kerala. Adv. P.T.A. Raheem and Karat Abdul Razak, members of the Kerala Legislative Assembly who were on a visit to the Kingdom, met the ambassador at his office in Riyadh. Social workers Muneeb Pazhoor, Shabeer Vayoli, Abdul Salam O.K and Vayoli Mohammed Master were also present at the meeting. The ambassador drew attention to several complaints being received by the Indian diplomatic mission against recruiting agents. A large number of laborers and housemaids coming from the lower strata of society have become victims of exploitation. Many agents are involved in recruiting housemaids and workers in violation of labor rules, Javed pointed out. Razak, who is also a member of the Assembly panel on expatriate issues, sought the ambassador's suggestions on steps to be taken by the government of Kerala on expatriate-related issues. Responding to this, Javed noted that the majority of about 3 million Indian expatriates in Saudi Arabia are blue-collar workers, who are not fully aware of their rights and can easily be cheated by either recruitment firms or employers. "The poor education level, Arabic language illiteracy and a lack of awareness about their rights and the labor regulations in the Kingdom are the major factors that contribute to the exploitation of workers by recruitment agents and employers," he pointed out. The ambassador underscored the need to closely monitor the recruitment process and keep a tight rein on human traffickers and illegal recruitment practices. Raheem, who is a former chairman of the Kerala State Haj Committee, discussed with the ambassador matters related to the Haj pilgrimage. "Strict regulations introduced by the Saudi authorities to restrict the performance of Haj without permits by Saudi citizens and residents contributed to the huge success of organizing last Haj. Restrictions on domestic pilgrims helped tremendously in easing the performance of Haj rituals for foreign pilgrims," the ambassador added.
